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Cricketer Tom Maynard, high on drink and drugs, was killed accidentally, jury decides

The jury in the inquest into the death of Surrey cricketer Tom Maynard have returned a verdict of accidental death. Maynard, 23, was found dead on Tube train tracks near Wimbledon Park station on June 18 last year.

The batsman died as a result of being hit by the train and from touching the live electric line, Westminster Coroner's Court heard.

Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox described Mr Maynard's death as
"absolutely tragic" and called for analysis of hair samples to be
considered for future drugs testing by Surrey County Cricket Club and other
sports clubs to help identify drug users.

"I pass my sympathies to Mr Maynard's family for the
loss they have suffered," she said.

During the hearing, Alex Tysone, Surrey
County Cricket Club's physiotherapist, paid tribute to Mr Maynard, whom he described
as having "the looks, the chat and all the talent". "There was not a single arrogant bone
in his body," he said.

The inquest heard that Maynard had been struck by the train as he tried to flee from police who had stopped him in his black Mercedes as a result of his "erratic driving". He ran from the vehicle and was found dead on the tracks shortly after 5am.

A post-mortem showed he was
nearly four times the legal limit to drive and had also taken cocaine and
ecstasy during a night out with two team-mates, England fast bowler Jade Dernbach and
former Surrey captain Rory Hamilton-Brown. They both gave evidence at the hearing, being among the last people to see Mr Maynard alive. Mr Hamilton-Brown was also Mr Maynard's housemate.

Both players told the court they were
unaware Mr Maynard
had ever taken drugs, which would result in a two-year ban from the sport. Asked by Dr Wilcox whether he
knew Mr Maynard
used cocaine on an almost daily basis, Mr Dernbach replied: "I was unaware
of that."

Tests on hair samples indicated Mr Maynard may have been a
daily user of drugs in the three-and-a-half months before his death, the inquest
heard. Post-mortem tests indicated high levels of
alcohol in Mr Maynard's
urine, as well as the presence of MDMA, cocaine and the compound cocaethylene. In a statement, Dr Rosa Cordero said
analysis of hair samples showed positive results for the presence of MDMA and
cocaine levels between 8.7 and 10 nanograms per milligram, which matched some
daily users of the drug.

The three players had been drinking
heavily on June 17 after losing a Twenty20 cricket match. They went to the Ship Inn pub in
Wandsworth, south London, before continuing to drink at the home Mr Maynard shared with Mr
Hamilton-Brown. They arrived later at Aura nightclub before leaving with three sisters they had met and returning home. One of the women, Georgina Williams, said
she saw Mr Maynard
leave his property at about 3.15am.

Mr Maynard's girlfriend, Carly Baker, was also at the hearing, and wept throughout proceedings. She told the court Mr Maynard had called her at
about 3.30am on June 18. "He sounded very down and depressed
on the phone," she said. "For me to say 'what's wrong' is
quite unusual. It was like he needed me. He said 'you're the only thing that
makes me happy', and he said it three times."

Miss Baker said she urged Mr Maynard not to drive to
her home as she suspected he had been drinking. "I tried
to persuade him not to come because I was so worried that he was getting into
his car after drinking," she said. She had continued to speak to on
the phone while he was driving until he no longer answered.

Forensic pathologist Dr Simon Poole told
the inquest jury that Mr Maynard
suffered burns to his feet, ankles and shin which were consistent with injuries
suffered by skin touching live railway tracks. It was not possible to say, however,
whether electrocution or the impact with the train caused Mr Maynard's death. A cause of death was given as multiple
injuries.

Mr Maynard earned himself a place on the England Lions tour to
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the start of last year. The Cardiff-born cricketer, who had gone through the ranks at Glamorgan, was the son of
former England and Glamorgan batsman Matthew Maynard.

In a statement issued through the
Professional Cricketers' Association, Mr Maynard's family said: "The results of the
inquest do not define our son. The fact that so very many people thought the
world of him is what defines him as a person. The only people who would judge Tom
on the findings of the inquest are people who didn't know him. He made choices
that night that tragically cost him his life, but his devastated family and
friends will love and miss him unconditionally, always. He was a very special person and his
death leaves a huge hole in all our lives."

The inquest heard that Mr Maynard had been
disciplined by Surrey Country Cricket Club after an incident in Brighton a week
before his death, where he had been run over and injured himself after drinking. Mr Hamilton-Brown told the jury this was
Mr Maynard's first
breach of discipline with the club. "I was jealous of his ability to
celebrate highs and lows and stay level," he said. "I'd describe him as an incredibly
level guy with so much talent in all facets of life."

Pc David Wishart told the inquest that he
and his colleague Pc Tahla Wallond were travelling in an unmarked police car
when they spotted Mr Maynard's
black Mercedes driving erratically. After following the car, it came to a stop
and performed a U-turn to face the officers. Pc Wishart got out of his car and ordered
Mr Maynard to wait,
but he ran off and managed to flee the officers. The cricketer's telephone remained in his
car and the keys were still in the ignition.

Tube driver Martin Hopping
said he believed he was approaching "bags of white ballast" before
realising a body was lying on the tracks. He applied the brakes and sounded the
train's horn but struck the body at about 5am.